Dreams
by sball6
Summary: Alex and Tracey have been best friends since 7th grade.  After she gets engaged things begin to change.  She isn't as carefree and let her dreams go.  Things have changed for Alex too, but his happiness circles around the one person he can't have.
1. Chapter 1

**Alex and Tracey have been best friends since 7th grade. After she gets engaged things begin to change. She isn't as carefree and let her dreams go. Things have changed for Alex too, but his happiness circles around the one person he can't have. **

**Disclaimer: I only own Tracey and David.**

Alex's POV

"_**Alex!" I turned around to see the most beautiful woman I had ever seen walking up to me. I smiled as she got closer.**_

_**"Hey beautiful," I said as I hugged her tight.**_

_**"Alex…" she said pushing away from me. "I can't do this."**_

_**"Yes you can, just trust me."**_

_**"I've always trusted you Alex."**_

_**"Good…" I said leaning in to kiss her**_

"Damnit!" I yelled as my alarm went off. It happened every time I had this dream. I always tried falling back asleep, but the dream was gone and never came back. I rolled over and set my feet on the floor.

"Have that dream again?" I jumped at the sound of the voice.

"Shit Ashley! What the hell are you doing here?" I looked at her and realized I had said something wrong…disappointing actually.

"You said we could go out for breakfast today and talk. We haven't sat down and talked in a while." I glanced at the alarm clock. It was beginning to make sense why I had turned my alarm clock was on early Sunday morning. I ran my hand through my hair.

"Give me 20 minutes." I said as I got off the bed. I walked over to her and kissed her cheek as I passed on my way to the bathroom. "I've missed you too little sister." I saw the smile reappear on her face as I shut the bathroom door. I turned on the shower, but kept it on the cooler side. The dream always got me and the closest I ever got to her was the hug.

I showered quickly and walked back to my room. I could hear the TV in the living room on and knew Ashley wasn't worried about how long I would be. If she was in a hurry she'd have been waiting in my room or sitting quietly in the kitchen. It had been the same way every time she came home from college for the past 2 years. I threw on jeans and a t-shirt and went out to the living room.

"You're wearing that?" I looked down not sure what was wrong with my choice of clothing. My sister wore the latest fashions, but she never told me how to dress. Not that it would really matter what she thought. "I'm just asking because it's already about a billion degrees outside and that is without humidity.

"I think I'll be okay. The place we're going has AC if it is so unbearably hot outside." I said smiling. Ashley had a way of exaggerating the truth. It was never a lie, but always an almost unbelievable truth. I grabbed my car keys and opened the door. As soon as the door opened I understood my sister's exaggeration. It was only 9:00 and it had to be close to 90 degrees plus humidity.

"See, I told you." Ashley said scooting around me and out to the car. I locked the door behind me as I rolled my eyes at her.

Fishbones

"What can I get for you two?" The waitress asked as she set our orange juices on the table. I could see my sister looking at me and then the waitress.

"I'll have scrambled eggs, toast, and bacon." She said nodding towards me and smiling.

"Excuse me?" She asked clearly confused at Ashley's nod. "Is she ordering for you?" She asked me.

"No, I think she's having neck spasms. I'll have the Belgium waffle plate with wheat toast and a side of fruit." The waitress smiled and walked away jotting down the order.

"What the hell was that Patrick? A neck spasm? I thought she was your type?" I looked behind me to see her at another table. Ashley was right. She was my type. She wasn't your average blonde, skinny girl. She had an ass and dyed hair that hung down her back.

"I do think she's hot, but there's someone else."

"Who? And if you say Tracey I might have to punch you in the jugular."

"That isn't very nice Ashley. You know, maybe you should work on that."

"Quit dodging the question. Is it Tracey?" I looked down knowing that I wouldn't be able to lie to my sister. She was too smart about those things.

"Yea, it's Tracey."

"So you did have that dream again." It wasn't a question. Ashley knew all about the dream. "Where did it take place?"

"Outside an art studio."

"Did you get the kiss in?"

"Nope, the damn alarm went off."

"Pat, this isn't good." I knew why this dream wasn't good, but it always felt right. "You can't have Tracey. You need to move on." I looked down as the waitress brought out our food. I waited for her to leave before I continued the conversation.

"I know you're right Ash." I wasn't lying to her. I knew I couldn't have Tracey. Not only had we been best friends since 7th grade and never anything more, but she had just gotten engaged to this guy she met at work. I thought he was a douche, but Tracey seemed happy…some of the time.

"You're doing it again. You say I'm right, but you still sit there and think about her. She is marrying David. She's happy. Why can't you just move on?"

"I don't think she's as happy as she puts on." I saw her pinch the bridge of her nose. It was the same thing our mom did when she was trying to force back a headache.

"Pat, you know I love you and it would be awesome to have Tracey as part of the family, but it is only a dream. Reality needs to sink in." I couldn't believe my 19-year old sister was giving me advice. She wasn't one to stay with any guy for more than 2 months.

"Can we just change the subject Ash? I'm not in the mood to talk about it."

"Yea," she paused as she thought about the topic. "How about we talk about the boy that just asked me out?"

"Really…" now that was better. It was much easier to talk about my sister's love life than it was to even think about my own. Don't get me wrong I had my share of good healthy relationships and a few bad ones, but I had blown the only chance I had to be more than friends with Tracey. She had told me she liked me as more than a friend a few years ago, but I was more interested in wrestling and the groupies that I had. So I told her she was like my best friend…almost a sister and I couldn't lose that. By the time I realized I was in love with her and just scared of a girl like her being in love with me, it was too late. She had found someone else and now (2 years later) they were engaged.

"Don't hate me Pat, but what were you so scared about?" I looked over at Ashley and realized that I hadn't heard a word she had said about this new guy in her life.

"Not sure what…"

"Don't lie to me Patrick Martin!" She whispered the words, but her eyes told me it was best if I didn't lie to her. "You know what I am talking about, but just so you are crystal clear about the subject matter…I am talking about Tracey." She stopped talking and I knew it was my turn. I looked out the window and took a deep breath.

"She told me how she really felt about me 4 years ago. I was scared that a girl like her would realize how much better she deserved. So I told her I only thought of her as a friend. She never brought it up again. It wasn't until it was too late that I figured out that I was in love with her."

"I don't get why you were scared of her loving you. She has been your best friend since 7th grade."

"I know it doesn't make sense now, but at the time it felt right. She wasn't the type of girl that anyone saw me with…including myself. But she was always there no matter what stupid thing our friends did. I was dumb Ashley. That's all there is to the story."

"Why didn't you tell her how you felt after you woke up and realized she was perfect for you?"

"I was going to, but when I went over to her house she was there with him." I knew Ashley knew who I meant. "She told me they had been seeing each other for 3 months and they were happy."

"Yea, I heard all that then too, but she was still in love with you. In fact, her eyes still light up when she talks about you."

"And how do you know that? You've been in Wisconsin since Christmas."

"It's called Skype. You should try it sometime."

"I don't need to talk to Tracey on the computer. I see her almost every week."

"I was totally talking about getting Skype to chat with me, but whatever." She paused before commenting on my last statement. "You see her almost every week and you still won't say anything to her. You are both dumb."

"I really don't want to talk about this anymore. So let's drop the subject completely." I said really not wanting to feel like shit the entire day. It was bad enough that I thought about her constantly without my sister's help.

"Fine, I'm done eating anyway. Can we go?" I could tell she was a little upset with me, but I didn't need relationship advice from anyone.

"Yea," I motioned for the waitress. I paid the check and stepped back out into the blistering heat. Ashley was already on the phone making plans with one of her old high school friends, but I wasn't listening to a word she was saying. My mind was still on the conversation we had during breakfast.

Tracey's POV

_**"Hey Alex, how's it going?" I asked as he climbed into my car for the first time in 3 months. It had been hard going to Chicago for art school the past 3 months, but I was home now and getting to see my best friend more often.**_

_**"Hey Trace, it's going well. How've you been?"**_

_**"I'm glad to be back now. School was starting to get annoying again. I'm still not sure why I decided to go and try art school."**_

_**"It was a good idea and you know it. Oh, and you are welcome."**_

_**"Yea, thanks for the idea. So how is wrestling going?"**_

_**"It's going well. Chris and I are finally getting the chance at being a tag team in TNA."**_

_**"Really? That's exciting! I love watching you two wrestle together."**_

_**"It should be fun."**_

_**"Good…" I was really excited for him and Chris, but there was something else bothering me. "Can I talk to you about something?"**_

_**"Isn't that what we are doing Trace?"**_

_**"That isn't what I meant Patrick and you know it." I only usually called him Patrick when he was in trouble. "I meant that I have to tell you something."**_

_**"Well then you should have just said that." I rolled my eyes at my best friend as I turned to face him.**_

_**"I've been thinking a lot lately and I just need you to know something." I took a deep breath before I continued. "I really like you…as more than a friend. I've liked you for a long time. I just couldn't hold it in anymore." It took him a minute to say anything, but when he did he was much more serious than before.**_

_**"I really like you too Tracey." I felt my heart skip a beat when I heard those words, but as soon as it happened the joy fell. "I've always thought of you as my little sister/best friend. I couldn't lose you as a best friend…ever."**_

**KNOCK! KNOCK!** The sound scared me from the memory. I looked down to see a big line in the middle of the drawing on my lap.

"Come in!" I yelled as I grabbed an eraser and started removing the unwanted line.

"Hi," I looked up to see my fiancée walk into the room.

"Hey, how are you?" I asked as I finished erasing the line.

"What the hell is that?" David asked grabbing the picture from my lap.

"It's a picture for an application that I am doing for an illustrator position."

"Are you still dreaming about that? It is a stupid job. Soon they won't need illustrators for anything because of computers."

"I can use computers, but I prefer the challenge and feeling of an actual drawing with paper and pencil." I took back the picture and set it down on the table.

"Well with shitty work like that you might as well stop dreaming. You'll never be anything more than a hobby drawer." He turned to the door. "Let's go, we're gonna be late for brunch." I set my pencils next to the drawing and followed David out of the apartment.

"Crap, I forgot my cell phone…be right back." I heard David's sigh as I ran back up the stairs. I walked back to the couch and picked up my phone. I started turning back when the drawing caught my eye. I picked it up and studied it for a second. David was right. I would never be anything more than a mediocre artist. It could never be more than just a hobby for me." I crumpled the paper and threw it in the garbage. It bounced off the wall and fell to the floor. I heard the car horn and knew better than to make David too mad about anything. I decided to pick it up when I came home and bolted down the stairs to the waiting car. He took off before I was even all the way in.


	2. Chapter 2

**I hope you all enjoy. Disclaimer: I only own Tracey and David.**

Alex's POV

"Hey man, where's your head today?" Adam asked after I messed up yet another lyric during our recording session. I looked over and shrugged. I knew the reason my head wasn't in the music today, but I didn't need everyone else knowing my business.

"Sorry, just have a lot on my mind." He took the partial truth and turned back to the board. "I'm just gonna take a quick break." I said walking out of the basement studio and up the stairs to the kitchen. I sat down at the kitchen table and pulled out my cell phone. I noticed I had a new text message waiting for me.

_'Do you know how much I HATE formal brunches?'_ I smiled when I read the message from Tracey.

_'I've heard that before. If you hate them so much quit going.'_ I waited for minute before I got her reply.

_'U know I would, but David likes them and he won't go by himself.'_ Of course he couldn't go by himself…that just wouldn't suit his image of loving fiancée. My mind went back to the conversation with my sister. Maybe she was right.

_'Can we hang out 2nite?'_ I decided to give it a try. The reply was much quicker than the last one.

_'Yea, can u come over here around 3?'_

_'Awesome! C u then!'_ I waited a few minutes, but got no response back. I went down to the studio and finished the song in plenty of time to make it over to Tracey's house by 3. I didn't want to miss a minute of the time we could hang out and talk.

Tracey's POV

I was excited for Alex to come over. We talked almost every day, but only saw each other once every week and sometimes only once every 2 weeks.

To say I wasn't still in love with Alex would be a complete lie, but he had made it clear that we could only be friends. Now that I was with David, I tried to push the feelings away, but I knew they would never be completely gone. He was my first love, even if he didn't reciprocate that feeling. I heard the doorbell and ran to the door. As soon as I opened it I was pulled into a hug.

"Alex!" I said hugging him back. "It's been a while."

"Yea sorry, I've been pretty busy lately." I pushed away just enough to see his eyes.

"You are a liar. Who is she?" I could always tell when Alex was lying. He wasn't busy, well as busy as he tried making me believe anyway, which could only mean that there was a girl in his life that was taking up his time. It's not like I could be jealous or anything, I had my own fiancée to worry about.

"There isn't another girl in my life. I promise." He wasn't lying. Now I was confused.

"Then why are you avoiding me? We haven't seen each other in 2 weeks and have only talked maybe 3 times."

"I'm not avoiding you Trace."

"Bullshit Alex!" The look of surprise on his face caught me off guard.

"Where'd that come from? You haven't called me out like that for almost a year."

"I'm so sorry Alex. I didn't mean to say that. I'm really sorry." I took a step back. "Excuse me." I said as I ran up the stairs.

Alex's POV

It was one of the strangest things I had witnessed in a long time. I had never seen that much fear in Tracey's eyes before. I had also never seen her back away from me. She hadn't done anything wrong. What was she so afraid of?

I followed her up the stairs to the small room she used for her drawing. I knocked lightly on the partially opened door.

"Come in." I heard the small, soft voice coming from the couch inside the room. I walked in and sat down next to her. "I'm sorry Alex." I could feel her tense up as I moved my arm around her shoulder. There it was again, the feeling that something strange was happening between us.

"You have nothing to apologize for Tracey. You said what you needed to say. The truth is I have been avoiding you, but not because of a girlfriend or you." I felt her relax a little as I squeezed her shoulder gently. "I just can't stand your boyfriend."

"Fiancée…" she whispered the word. I looked around the room quickly. I needed to change the subject before I said something that I would regret later.

"What are you working on for the application? Can I see it?"

"No," I looked at her as soon as the word left her mouth. There wasn't much emotion in her voice. I couldn't even tell what she was feeling. This was not the same bold and truthful girl I had known for the past 15 years.

"Did you already send it in?"

"I'm not sending it in. I'm not going to apply for anymore illustrator positions. I'm done."

"What? Why?" I was shocked. Tracey had wanted to be an illustrator for years. And she was amazing. I had always considered myself a pretty good artist and she was 10 times better than I was.

"I'm done." I could tell she was fighting tears, but she continued anyway. "Drawing will never be more than a dream job…more dream than anything. I'm not any good."

"Where is this coming from?" It was hard to believe I was hearing those words coming from her mouth. The last time I had talked to her she was so excited for the opportunity to get her art out there. What had changed? "Where is the drawing for the application?"

"It was awful so I threw it away." Her voice was broken. Before either of us could say anything else we heard a car door slam. "You need to leave." She got up and walked out of the room. I looked at the garbage to see the balled up paper still sitting on the floor. I started smoothing it out when David charged into the room. I quickly folded the paper before shoving it in my back pocket.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He yelled loud enough to wake a sleeping giant. I saw Tracey flinch slightly behind him.

"Tracey said I could borrow some oils. I was just going to grab them and leave, but I can't find them." David grabbed something off the stool next to him and threw it at me. "These are charcoals, I can't use them." I said setting them on the table.

"Get him the damn oils he needs so he can get the hell out!" He said turning towards Tracey.

"You don't need…"

"It's fine Alex. I can get them for you." I tried to hide the shock I felt, but I wasn't sure if I did. I wasn't going to say anything about her having to get the oils for me. I actually knew where they were. I was going to tell David that he couldn't talk to her that way. She grabbed he oils and handed them to me.

"Thanks." I said leaning closer for a hug. But she backed away and walked back behind David.

"You got what you came for now get the hell out." If Tracey's eyes hadn't looked so nervous I would have punched the ass out. Instead I walked past giving Tracey a small smile.

I let myself out, but a part of me wanted to run back up the stairs and carry Tracey away from the jerk she called her fiancée. I drove away feeling like a horrible friend. I should have said something more to David, but I just couldn't get over the look of fear in Tracey's eyes.

When I got home I took out the picture and studied it. It was amazing…beyond amazing really. I wasn't sure what Tracey had been talking about. This was one of, if not the best drawings she had ever done. I grabbed my phone and found her name.

'_Thanks for the oils. I'll get them back to you as soon as I can. I also think you should send in the drawing. It's amazing!'_ I hit the send button and waited for the reply. 5 minutes passed by and I didn't get any response. I thought about sending another message or even calling when my front door opened. A part of me hoped it was Tracey. I got up just in time to see Chris walking in.

"Hey Chris," I said sitting back down.

"Hey, how's Tracey?" I shrugged.

"I'm not sure. I'm actually pretty confused."

"Why?"

"She asked why I was avoiding her. I lied and said I wasn't. Then she said I and quote 'Bullshit Alex!' with a don't lie-to-me tone. And I was impressed. She hadn't talked to me like that for a while. You know as well as I do that she never took crap from anyone and always said what was on her mind."

"That's true. Remember that day she told us one of our moves wouldn't work or even look right, but we tried it anyway?" I laughed as the memory came flooding back.

"Yea, she laughed so hard when you fell on your face. And then told us we were dumbasses for even trying the move."

"Obviously we should have listened."

"Yea," I paused remembering how the girl we were talking about was not the same one I had just talked to. "After I asked about her calling me out she freaked and started apologizing. She even backed away like I was going to hit her or something."

"Seriously?" I nodded not quite sure what else to say. "Did you ask her about it?"

"No, she wasn't comfortable talking about it. Maybe I'll bring it up a different day." I paused and pointed to the picture. "What do you think?"

"Wow! That is amazing Alex. When did you…"

"It wasn't me. Tracey was drawing it to send in with an application."

"Why was?"

"She told me it was horrible and she's not going to persue her dream anymore." Chris was as shocked as I was. "I am thinking of just sending it in for her."

"Are you sure?"

"Yea," I paused to take a breath. I needed the words to come out exactly right. "She sounded so broken…almost like she was having a hard time believing anything she was saying."

"Talk to her about it again. Maybe she really has changed her mind."

"You're right. I'll talk to her tomorrow."

"Good…" he paused. "You wanna play some MarioKart?" I smiled as Chris handed me a controller.


	3. Chapter 3

**What happened after Alex's visit? Disclaimer: I only own Tracey and David.**

**The Next Day**

Alex's POV

"Good morning, Plymouth Savings and Loan. This is Pam." The voice on the other end surprised me. Tracey rarely was sick and never took personal days.

"Hey Pam, it's Alex. Where's Tracey today?"

"Oh, the poor girl is sick again. She keeps fighting this cold off and it just keeps coming right back. I told her to visit the doctor, but she assures me that she'll be fine after some sleep."

"She's been sick a lot lately?"

"Yea, she's been sick off and on for the past 6 months probably. David says she has allergies, but I think…never mind that can't be possible."

"What?"

"I was just going to say she might be pregnant, but I know that isn't true."

"Is David at work today?"

"Yes, would you like me to transfer you to David?"

"No," I said quickly. "I just had a question for Tracey. I'll just call her later. Thanks Pam." I hung up before she could say anything else. I quickly dialed Chris' number.

"Hello…"

"Dude, get your ass out of bed. I'm gonna go talk to Tracey and I need you to come with me."

"Why do you need me to come with? You're a big boy."

"I want to make sure she is sanely thinking this whole giving up her dream through."

"First of all…sanely? Is that the right word?"

"It is now." I could picture Chris nodding as he asked his 2nd question.

"Second, why do you want to go now? I don't want to be a distraction for her at work."

"She isn't at work."

"What? She took a personal day?"

"Nope, apparently she's sick."

"Tracey? Tracey is sick? She hasn't been sick since I've known her."

"Exactly!" Now he was beginning to understand. "I don't remember the last time Tracey ever missed work or school because she was sick. And get this…she's been getting sick a lot over the last 6 months. I think something is wrong with her."

"So you wanna go over there and see what's wrong?"

"Yea," I said looking around the room for my keys. "You gonna come with me?" I waited for a minute before Chris finally said anything.

"I'll be ready in 15 minutes." I spotted my keys across the room and stood up.

"Thanks Chris. See you in 15 minutes." I hung up the phone, grabbed my keys and the picture Tracey had drawn.

Chris and I pulled up to her house 25 minutes later. "You ready?" He asked when I didn't get out of the car right away.

"What if she really is sick? What if I'm wrong?'

"Wrong about what?"

"I don't think Tracey is sick. The girl never gets sick. She started changing about 7 months ago. I don't know why, but she isn't the same girl."

"I think I know where you're going with this Alex and it is a huge risk. If you're wrong you could lose one of your best friends."

"Yea, but if I'm right…" I trailed off as I stared at the front door. I didn't want to even think about what David might be doing to Tracey.

"Okay, let's go talk to Tracey." We got out of the car and walked up the front steps to the door. Chris knocked as I looked around at different windows. That was another strange thing. Tracey always opened the blinds every morning. She would also open them in my house whenever she came over. Even when I wanted to close the world out she came and opened them. But the past few months I couldn't remember a time I hadn't seen hers closed. I wasn't sure how long we had been waiting when Tracey finally opened the door.

Tracey's POV

It hadn't been a good evening after Alex had left. David had always been jealous of Alex. I don't know why it started, but it did. It had never affected my relationship with either of the men, but times were changing and David started showing me how much he despised Alex.

It didn't matter how many times I told him that Alex was like my brother and would never be anything more, he didn't ever believe it. You would think he'd have a reason to think I'm a liar, but I've never done anything with Alex that David didn't know about or be invited to…before last night anyway.

David was pissed when he saw Alex in my drawing room. I had tried making him believe that he had only come for the oils, but he wasn't buying any of it. The ordeal had been louder than usual and I was a little surprised the neighbors hadn't called the police.

It had been happening for the past half year or more and I wasn't exactly sure what had changed everything. Usually he would apologize right after, but last night was different. I had slept on the couch in my drawing room and when I woke up I noticed a bruise forming on my left cheek.

I couldn't face anyone at work and tell them what happened and had been happening for the better part of a year. It was much easier to lie to people over the phone.

The only exception was Alex. I couldn't lie to Alex. I could avoid the truth or exaggerate the truth, but he always knew when I was lying to him. Thankfully I wouldn't have to try and lie to him. With the way things had been going lately, it would be about a week before I talked to him again and probably 2 weeks before I would see him. And from past experiences I know he won't ask me about the night ever. Not because he didn't care, but it wasn't a big deal.

I walked to the bathroom and grabbed my make-up. David wouldn't be home until close to 6, but I couldn't take a chance of someone coming over and asking questions. I winced as I started putting the concealer on my cheek. It was tender, but the make-up needed to be applied. I was almost done when a knock on the door startled me. I looked at the sink where a good portion of my liquid concealer was running down the drain. I picked up the container and placed it upright on the sink.

I walked into my drawing room and peeked out the window. I was shocked to see Alex and Chris standing at the door. How did they even know I was home? I rushed back to the bathroom to finish my make-up. When I was fairly confident that I hid the bruise well I walked down to the door.

"Act normal." I said as I opened the door.

Alex's POV

"Tray, what happened?" I asked as soon as Tracey opened the door. I saw a look of surprise in her eyes.

"What do you mean?" She asked stammering slightly.

"I called the bank today and Pam told me you were sick. You were fine yesterday. What happened?"

"Oh," she paused. "I, um…I just got the 24-hour bug I'm hoping. It just hit me late last night." She was lying. She wasn't sick. Who puts make-up on when they stay home sick? "You probably shouldn't stay. I don't want you to get sick before Sunday. You need to wrestle." I looked over at Chris and could tell he knew she was lying too."

"We just have a quick question for you." Chris said leaning against the doorframe. She didn't look like she wanted to answer any questions, but I had to know the truth.

"What's the question?"

"Why do you not want to send this is?" I asked pulling the paper out of my pocket. I unfolded it and showed her the contents. The look in her eyes was dead as she stared at her drawing.

"Where'd you get that?" She asked reaching for it. I pulled it away quickly.

"I asked you first."

"I'm not sending it in because it's horrible Alex. It just isn't good enough. I'm not good enough." The words were quiet as they came off her lips and her eyes never made contact with either of us.

"Who said that?" Chris asked the question, but it was the same one forming on my lips.

"It doesn't really matter. It's true." Now I knew something was wrong. This was not the same girl I knew and loved.

"It does matter Tracey. It matters because this picture is amazing and you are an incredible artist."

"Stop," she said putting her hand up to stop my next thought. "I can't send it in Alex. Why can't you just leave it at that?" She reached for it again, but I pulled it back a little further.

"I wanna keep it." I said folding it back up and putting it in my pocket. She was about to object when I cut her off. "You'll just throw it away anyway and I think it's good."

"Fine," she said giving in. I leaned over and kissed her cheek. I felt her flinch and when I pulled back I could see pain in her eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"You need to go."

"Yea, we'll let you get some rest." Chris said turning around. I didn't want to leave. I wanted to sit there and shake her until she told me what was wrong. But Chris was there and I was his ride. I felt a nudge against my leg. I turned to see Chris poking me with a crutch and nodding towards the car.

"I hope you feel better Tray. If you need ANYTHING…call me. I'll always be there for you." I turned towards the car, but stopped halfway down the sidewalk. "You are an amazing artist…don't give up on it." I waved quickly and ran the rest of the way to the car. I got in as I saw her wave back and shut the door.

I pulled out of the driveway and began a quiet trip back to Chris' house. As I pulled onto Chris' street I glanced over and knew the situation with Tracey was bothering him too. He looked like he wanted to say something, but wasn't sure how to say it. I pulled into the driveway and we climbed out of the car.

"Hey guys," Jamie, Chris' girlfriend, asked as soon as we got in the house. "How'd it go?" I shrugged as I stood by the door to the living room. Jamie knew about the situation with Tracey. Chris sat down next to her as I began to pace.

"That isn't the same girl that told me to get over myself and ask you out." He said looking at Jamie.

"I don't get it." She squeezed his knee and I could tell she felt bad about everything.

"Me either." Chris paused and looked at me. "You're right Alex."

"Jamie, would you wear make-up if you were sick?" I asked ignoring Chris' statement.

"I try not to wear make-up when I'm home alone ever."

"You don't think she's really sick?" I shook my head at Chris' question.

"She wasn't coughing, or sniffling, or shivering, and she had no fever."

"Then what is wrong with her that made her stay at home?"

"Did you see her flinch?"

"What do you mean? When?"

"When I kissed her on the cheek she flinched like she was in pain."

"Maybe she was startled." I shrugged and turned to the kitchen. My thought was not that I startled her, but something more was going on. I had kissed her on the cheek on more than one occasion over the course of our friendship.

"Do you have any big envelopes and a stamp?"

"For what?" Chris asked starting to get up.

"I'll get them. I just want to send Tracey's drawing in."

"Didn't she say she didn't want to send it in?"

"She said SHE didn't want to send it in…so I'll send it in for her. And then we'll show her she is good." Chris smiled and pointed towards a drawer. One way or another I was going to show Tracey that she was an amazing artist and that she should be with me and not David.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Wow...I feel like I haven't updated this in a while...even though it hasn't even been a week. Disclaimer: I only own Tracey and David._**

**A week later**

Alex's POV

"So is it illegal to open someone's mail when it is sent to your house?" Chris looked up from his game and gave a look I wasn't sure about.

"Did I send something to your place again?"

"No, I sent Tracey's drawing in and had them reply back to my address."

"You got a reply?" Chris put down the controller and sat up straighter. "I say for this occasion you can definitely open it." I sat down next to him. It had been exactly one week since I had sent Tracey's drawing to a local studio and I was more than anxious to hear back from them.

I hadn't talked to Tracey all week, but not because of a lack of trying on my part. I had called and texted a few times, but never got a response from her. Now I was home for a day before I had to drive to Canada for a house show.

"Okay, but if it isn't good news we don't ever mention it to Tracey."

"Do you really think it could be bad news?"

"No," I said matter-of-factly. I had a lot of confidence in Tracey's abilities, even if she didn't. "I just have to say it in case." Chris nodded as I opened the envelope. I pulled out the letter and unfolded it.

"What's it say Alex?" Chris asked leaning over. I scanned it quickly before reading it out loud.

_"Tracey: Thank you for sending your application and drawing in. We would love to see more of your drawings. If you could come in to meet with us, we would love to talk to you about drawing for us."_ I was still in shock with each word I read.

"Holy shit! It worked!" Chris said taking the letter from me. I smiled as I thought about the letter. Tracey was going to be so happy. "How are you going to tell her?"

"I don't know yet. I haven't gotten to talk to her in a week. Is she working today?"

"She should be…" I picked up my phone and dialed the number for the Plymouth Savings and Loan, this is Tracey."

"Trace, it's Alex." The pause on the other side was shocking. "Tracey? Are you there?"

"How can I help you?" That was what Tracey would say when she couldn't talk at work.

"I need to talk to you…in person. Can we go out for a quick lunch?"

"I don't know."

Please Tracey…I have to talk to you."

"Okay, how about 12:30 at Subway?"

"Perfect! I'll see you then Trace!" I was excited that she agreed to come.

"Bye," she said it quickly and then hung up.

"So she's gonna meet you?" I nodded. "Do you need me to come?"

"No, I know you have rehab. Plus I need to talk to her by myself."

"Oh yea…well give her a hug for me."

"I will. See you later Chris." I got up off the couch and grabbed my keys.

"Bye Alex. Let me know what happens with Tracey." I smiled as I walked out of the house and hopped in my car. I felt good knowing that Tracey would finally see what I saw in her.

I drove over to her house. No one was home, but I knew where she kept the spare key. I let myself in and walked up the stairs to her drawing room. Plan A was in full swing and I needed to make sure it wasn't ruined ever.

Tracey's POV

I sat down in a booth with the 2 sandwiches and waited. It had been an entire week since I had seen or talked to Alex and I was nervous. It wasn't that I didn't want to see him, but I wasn't really ready to face him.

I still wasn't sure why I had agreed to go to lunch with him, but he sounded serious. I also knew that he wouldn't have let up if it was as serious as he made it sound. I heard the familiar ding of the bell when new customers walked in. I glanced up and saw Alex walk in. He smiled as he walked over, but the smile quickly disappeared when he reached the booth.

"Tracey? What happened?" He asked pointing at my shoulder that was in a sling.

"It's nothing Alex. I got you a sandwich…your healthy choice. So how was Slammiversary?" I tried changing the subject.

"No…you are not changing the subject. What happened to your shoulder?"

"I broke my collarbone. Ironic, huh? You break yours and a few months later I break mine. It is kinda like our chicken pox debacle back in 8th grade."

"I'm pretty sure I went to your house to get the chicken pox on purpose. I wanted them so that I could miss a week of school. How did you break your collarbone?" The words were filled with concern…just like his eyes.

"I just got in a small accident."

"Like a car accident?"

"Um," I paused. I couldn't say car because mine was outside and in perfect condition. "No, I was riding my bike and I tanked it. I fell off and landed on my shoulder." I felt okay about what I said. It sounded good as it came off my lips. It wasn't an impossible lie for him to believe. I had been riding bikes since our sophomore year of high school. I looked at Alex, but couldn't tell if he believed me or not.

Alex's POV

I couldn't believe Tracey was sitting in Subway with a broken collarbone and lying to me about it. Her lie was pretty good, but I knew her too well. She didn't normally fall off her bike, plus her bike was sitting in my garage from the last time we went to the track. I knew I could catch her in the lie. "When did you go to the track? When did this happen?" I could see the fear in her eyes as she thought about the next part of the lie. It was very subtle, but I knew everything about Tracey.

"Um, Wednesday…"

"Wednesday? Really?"

"Yea, on Wednesday afternoon."

"Weren't you sick on Wednesday?" I saw a hint of surprise in her eyes as I asked the question. "That was when Chris and I came over." I could see the surprise in her eyes go to shock. I had the lie dead. "Plus, your bike is in my garage from last year." I paused just long enough to see her swipe away a tear. "Now how did you really break your collarbone?"

"Please Alex…" the tone of her voice was pleading with him. "I don't want to talk about it…right now."

"Fine, but don't think I'll forget about this." I decided it was best to change the subject. I opened my sandwich and took a bite. "Thanks for the sandwich. I appreciate it."

"Don't worry about." I could tell she was still a little apprehensive about talking to me.

"So where's David today?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean where is he right now? You never come to lunch with me anymore if David is at work."

"That is not true Alex."

"When was the last time?"

"Fine it's been a while, but David and I are engaged and I want to eat lunch with him. Is that a crime?"

"Why do you always try and lie to me Tracey? When are you going to realize that I see through all the lies?" She looked down at her sandwich. When she started talking she didn't even look up.

"What did you have to tell me that was so important?" I ignored the fact that she changed the subject again. I pulled the letter out of my backpack and slid it across the table. She picked it up and read it a few times. "What is this Alex?"

"They loved the picture and want to talk to you."

"What picture? I didn't send anything in."

"I know…I did."

"What? Why would you do that?"

"Because the drawing was amazing and you need to know how amazing it was. Now answer my question. Where is David today?"

"He's at a conference until late tonight. Why do you care?" I didn't bother answering her question as I took my phone out.

"Hey Pam, it's Alex. Tracey and I were at lunch and all of a sudden she just got sick again. I'm just gonna take her home." I paused as Pam started talking. I looked at Tracey, who was sitting in shock. "No, I don't think she needs to go to the hospital. I'll stay for a while just to be certain." Pam was talking again, but I wasn't really paying attention. "Okay, I'll tell her. Bye." I hung up the phone and put it back in my pocket. I looked at Tracey and she looked upset.

"What the hell was that Alex?"

"Come on, let's go." I got up and headed for the door. I turned back and saw Tracey staring at the letter with a small smile playing on her face. She got up and followed me to her car. I stopped by the driver's door and held my hand out.

"What?"

"I'm driving you. You are too sick to drive anywhere." I smiled as she stared at me. She handed me her keys after a minute and walked to the other side.

"Where are we going Alex? You missed my road."

"Oh, I set up a meeting for you." I grabbed my backpack off the floor and pulled out her portfolio. "Here…"

"Where'd you get this?"

"That's a stupid question Trace. I got it from your drawing room."  
>"You broke into my house?"<p>

"Nope…the key is still in the same spot it was a year ago. You're gonna need that when you go talk to the people at the studio."

"I can't Alex. I'm not ready…I'm not good enough." I pulled the car over and turned to face the one girl in my life that I could see spending my life with.

"Stop saying that Tracey! You've always been humble about your talent, but this is insane! David isn't here. I think you're amazing and you need to get back to how you were before that douche."

"He isn't a douche…that's my fiancée."

"He doesn't love you Tracey! I love you!" I felt my face get warm. I hadn't meant to say it at that moment, but it was out and there was nothing either of us could do about it. I grabbed her hand as she sat there staring at the window. "You are an amazing person and an incredible artist. I just want you to go to this meeting with an open mind."

"Okay…" she didn't say anything as I pulled the car back into traffic. We pulled into the parking lot 10 minutes later.

"You ready?" It was the first thing either of us had said since I had restarted the car. She shook her head as she continued staring out the window.

"I didn't fall off my bike. I haven't been able to get out on a bike all season. David thinks it is a stupid hobby…kinda like drawing and painting." She paused for a minute, but I knew it was not the right time for me to say anything. "After you left on Wednesday, David came home early. He must have seen you driving away. He got pissed and wouldn't listen to me. I told him you just came by to return the oils. I went to show him the set, but he accused me of cheating on him. We argued, mainly him yelling, and then he shoved me. My feet got tangled and I fell down the stairs to the landing. I felt the pop, but I didn't want to say anything to him. David rushed down the stairs apologizing. He took me to the doctor, but told them I had fallen off my bike. That's what he's been telling everyone."

"I'm going to kill him!" I yelled banging the wheel. "I'm sorry Tracey." I said when I saw her flinch at the action. "Has he ever hit you before?" I saw her nod slowly. "Did David tell you your art didn't matter? Did he tell you that you weren't good enough?" The tears started falling as she nodded. "It's a lie." I said grabbing her hand. "He just doesn't want you to have anything in your life. I know you may hate me for saying this, but you deserve so much more."

"What if I don't? What if I can't get any better?"

Where was this coming from? Where had she come up with that thought? I asked the questions to myself but knew everything that was said had come from David. The man who made her believe he'd love her forever, but then broke her wings and shattered her dreams.

"I am going to promise that everything will turn out just the way you dreamed it would. And it starts with this meeting." The smile came back to her eyes as we got out of the car. Plan A was almost complete and Plan B was going to start after the meeting.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Alex and Tracey have now talked about everything that's happened over the past few months. What's going to happen next? Disclaimer: I only own Tracey and David.**_

**Sunday Morning**

Tracey's POV

It had been a few days since Alex had taken me to the meeting with the art director at the biggest studio in Detroit. She had loved my portfolio and asked if I would come and work at the studio as an illustrator. It took me one quick glance at Alex before I accepted the position. She also said that she would showcase my art in the lobby every other month. It felt good to hear her say that my paintings could go for hundreds of dollars at a show.

After the meeting Alex took me back to his place and we talked about everything that had been happening over the past 6 months. Now I was waiting for Alex to show up. I had convinced David that I wasn't feeling well enough to go to his parents' house for brunch. I knew he wouldn't be back for hours, which gave me and Alex enough time to pack everything I owned and get out of the house I had lived in fear in everyday for the past 6 months.

"Hello…" I said answering my phone after the 2nd ring. "He left 20 minutes ago."

"Then we're coming in." I looked out the window to see Alex, Chris, and Ashley getting out of the car. They walked up to the drawing room and saw the suitcases sitting there packed and ready to go."

Alex's POV

I couldn't believe what I was seeing when I walked into Tracey's drawing room. She was all set to go. "You have everything packed?" Chris asked as he made it into the room behind Ashley

"Yea, I've been doing it a little every day."

"Cool," Ashley said picking up a suitcase and carrying it down the steps.

"Didn't he get suspicious?" I asked as I picked one up and carried it to the door.

"No." She said it so matter-of-factly that I was caught off guard. "I told him I was getting it out of his house. I said that I was giving it away. So he helped me pack it all up."

"I thought you were a horrible liar? How'd you make him believe it?"

"Actually I'm a very good liar Chris. I just have a problem lying to Alex. He knows me too well." Chris nodded in understanding.

"Come on Trace, let's get your clothes packed." I said picking up a suitcase I brought in. "Chris don't try carrying anything down the stairs…that's why Ash is here." Chris nodded as Tracey and I left the room. We walked into her bedroom and she started grabbing clothes from the closet. "You okay?" I asked noticing a slight hesitation.

"I'm kinda nervous Alex."

"Everything will be fine. I promise." She turned around and walked back to the closet. "Do you need anything from the dresser?"

"Yea, the top two drawers on the left side are mine." I opened the top drawer, but quickly shut it again. I've seen my share of bras and underwear, but seeing Tracey's drawer full of underwear and bras made me a little nervous. I had wondered what kind she wore ever since I realized how much I was in love with her. I reopened the drawer slowly and picked up a handful. I quickly shoved them in the suitcase. "Are you thirsty?" I turned to look at Tracey hoping my cheeks weren't as red as they felt.

"Some water would be great." She smiled as she walked out of the room. I turned back to the dresser and pulled out the rest of its contents. As I was shutting the drawer I noticed a folded piece of paper at the bottom. I took it out and saw my name written on it.

_"Alex, I wish I could tell you how much I love you and how much I don't love David. I know we'll never be anything more than friends, but in my heart I still dream that it will happen. I don't want to marry David, but it isn't my choice. I feel like I am letting everyone down. You should see my mom's face every time she sees him. She doesn't like this at all, but I can't do anything else. I hope I can make it through this life. If I had a choice I would wait for you forever. I will always love you!"_

"Here you go…" I turned to see Tracey holding out a water bottle.

"What's this?" I asked holding out the letter to Tracey. It was hard to read the expression in her eyes.

"It's a letter I wrote to you a month or two ago. You weren't actually supposed to see it."

"What do you mean if you had a choice?"

"I hav…oh my gosh, I can't leave." I was confused as she started pulling things out of the suitcase.

"What are you doing?" But she didn't stop unpacking. "Tracey!" I walked over and grabbed her good shoulder. She turned to me and the tears were rolling down her face. "What is going on?"

"I can't leave him. He'll kill me."

"No, he won't kill you. He won't ever come near you again. I promise."

"How can you promise that?"

"I can promise that Chris and I will make sure of it." The fear in her eyes faded, but I wasn't going to let go. "Everything's gonna turn out perfectly…you'll see." I took the things from the bed and put them back in the suitcase.

We finished packing everything and putting it in the car an hour later. Tracey and I took a quick walk through the house to make sure we weren't forgetting anything important.

"Be right back." She said as she walked slowly up the stairs. I waited a few minutes before I saw her coming back down with a smiled etched on her face and relief filling her eyes.

"You okay?" I asked as she shut the door behind us.

"I know I will be. Can we stop at my parents' house?"

"Of course."

"I just need to tell my mom the good news…all of it." We hopped in her car while Chris and Ashley started getting into mine.

"Tracey, you left the window open." Ashley said pointing to the window of the drawing room. "Isn't it supposed to rain this afternoon?"

"Yea, I left it open on purpose. David will have to go in to close it and will see the note I left him."

"You left a note?" I was shocked to hear it.

"Yea, I wrote a note telling him I was done and never want to see him. There is something in there about how I am going to follow all my dreams and he'll never have a chance to crush them."

"I'm proud of you Tracey." I said taking her hand in mine. It wasn't the first time we held hands, but it was the first time I realized how perfectly they fit together. We drove off and Tracey didn't even look back once. I couldn't wait to restart our lives together.


	6. Chapter 6

_**What is Alex's Plan B? Disclaimer: I only own Tracey and David. **_

**The Next Day**

"Alex? Where are you going?" I turned back to the bed to see Tracey sitting up and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"I have to go to the gym and I want to see you before you start your first day."

"It's 5 in the morning."

"I know, but I'm busy this afternoon and it is just easier to do it in the morning. Just go back to sleep and I'll see you in a few hours." I wasn't lying to her. I really was going to the gym, but I first had to make a quick stop. She laid back down and was asleep again before I made it out of the bedroom. I didn't blame her either. We had a late night talking and then she had a hard time falling asleep.

I thought about our conversation and knew everything that David had ever said and done to her. I also knew it would take a while for her to ever be the girl she used to be, but I could see glimpses every so often.

Soon I pulled into the driveway of the man that had tried to break Tracey until she was just a shell of who she used to be. I walked up the front walkway and felt my blood boiling. I knew I had to control myself. I couldn't risk hitting him and going to jail for it. Tracey needed me. I knocked on the door and waited. As soon as the door opened I brought my hand back and punched the ass in the face. It didn't matter how hard I tried to stay calm. The image of Tracey's bruised face and broken collarbone was all I could see and the guy in front of me was the reason. I pushed him into the house and back into the wall.

"What the hell are you doing Alex? I'm going to call the cops." David said as he wiped the blood from the cut on his lip. I saw he fear in his eyes, the same type of fear that I saw in Tracey's eyes when she talked about David.

"The hell you'll call the cops. If you try, then be prepared to be hit with an assault and battery charge. You see, I know that Tracey didn't fall off her bike and break her collarbone. You pushed her down the stairs. You've also hit her numerous times and we have proof from the last time."

"What do you want?'

"I want you to leave her alone. I NEVER want to hear that you've tried to talk to her or see her in any way, shape, or form. Do you understand?"

"That can't work. We work at the same place." I chuckled at the man's attempt.

"No, you used to work at the same place. Tracey handed in her two week notice on Friday and then took 2 weeks of vacation starting today. Oh and you can tell everyone whatever you want, but the e-mail she sent out to your co-workers about the abrupt departure is that she called off the engagement and relationship because you were sleeping with someone else." The look in his eyes told me everything I said was true.

"You…you have no proof." I shrugged.

"Maybe…maybe not, but the look in your eyes tells a different story. Besides I don't care one way or the other. You screwed up your relationship with an amazing and beautiful girl. Thankfully, I'm there to put all the pieces back together." I let go of his shirt and backed towards the door. "Stay away from Tracey or I'll be the last of your worries." I shut the door behind me and climbed into my car. I pulled out of the driveway and drove quickly to the gym where I was meeting Chris. It was almost 6 and everything was right on schedule.

"Hey man, perfect timing." Chris said as he opened the door for me. "Here's your card back." He handed me my gym membership card. I took it and put it back in my wallet.

"Everything go okay here?" Chris smiled.

"Yea, Petey came in early to open today so we had no problems at all." I smiled. It was a great day. "No problems for you?"

"No, I think we won't have to worry about David anymore." I paused not sure if I should tell Chris what I did when I first saw the man. "I did hit him though." The smile on Chris' face disappeared.

"Alex, you said you wouldn't hit him. This could be horrible."

"No, it's gonna be fine. If he goes to the cops then I was here the whole time. You and the computer are my alibies. Plus Tracey will say I came to work out. And I'm pretty sure it won't be hard to press some charges for assault on Tracey."

"You really thought all this through." I nodded happy with the plan. "Does Tracey know?"

"No and she can't find out that I went there. Promise Chris…"

"Of course I promise."

"Thanks," I said walking over to the treadmill. I wasn't in the mood to lift, but I figured I should do something while I was there.


	7. Chapter 7

**_I know this is really short, but it didn't feel right to put it with the last chapter. This is the last chapter. Thank you for reading and I hope you all enjoyed!_**

"Alex!" I turned around to see the most beautiful woman I had ever seen walking up to me. I smiled as she got closer.

"Hey beautiful," I said as I hugged her tight.

"Alex…" she said pushing away from me. "I can't do this."

"Yes you can, just trust me."

"I've always trusted you Alex."

"Good…" I said leaning in to kiss her. When our lips finally met it was the most amazing experience I'd ever had. It was better than my first concert and first wrestling match combined. I pulled back and noticed her smile was as big as mine felt. "You know I love you Tracey."

"I do now." I pushed some hair away from her eyes. "I love you too Alex. I always have and I always will." This was the part of the dream I never got to experience and to be honest it was better than I could have hoped for.

"You know you are making my biggest dream a reality?" She smiled and kissed my cheek.

"Only because you helped me live out my dreams first."

"I hope I can help you live out every dream you've ever had and ever will have." I decided to not go into details about my actual dream. Even if I wanted to, it wouldn't feel as real as it was. We had lived it out and I knew now it was just the beginning.


End file.
